Kinesin Family, Member 11 (KIF11)

KIF11 encodes a motor protein that belongs to the kinesin-like protein family. Members of this protein family are known to be involved in various kinds of spindle dynamics. The function of this gene product includes chromosome positioning, centrosome separation and establishing a bipolar spindle during cell mitosis.

Eg5 had the remarkable capability of simultaneously moving at approximately 20 nanometers per second towards the plus ends of each of the 2 microtubules it crosslinked. For antiparallel microtubules, this resulted in relative sliding at approximately 40 nanometers per second, comparable to spindle pole separation rates in vivo. Furthermore, they found that Eg5 can tether microtubule plus ends, suggesting an additional microtubule-binding mode for Eg5.